3rd body found after Colorado River boat crash
(AP/FOX 11) - MOABI REGIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on the collision of two recreational boats on the Colorado River (all times local):
3:45 p.m.
Authorities say the body of a third person killed in a weekend collision of two recreational boats on the Colorado River has been found and the search continues for one other missing person.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office in Kingman, Arizona, says the body of 24-year-old Kirra Drury of Ventura, California was found Tuesday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, sheriff's officials say the body of 50-year-old Brian Grabowski of Tulare, California, was recovered.
The body of 51-year-old Christine Lewis of Visalia, California, was found Monday in the river along the California-Arizona border.
They were among more than a dozen people ejected from two boats in the crash Saturday night.
Both boats sank, and passing boaters pulled crash victims from the water.
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11:45 a.m.
Authorities say the body of a second person killed in a weekend collision of two recreational boats on the Colorado River has been found and the search continues for two others still missing.
The Mohave County Sheriff's Office in Kingman, Arizona, says the body of 50-year-old Brian Grabowski of Tulare, California, was found Tuesday, a day after the body of 51-year-old Christine Lewis of Visalia, California, was found in the river along the California-Arizona border.
They were among more than a dozen people ejected from two boats in the crash Saturday night. Both boats sank, and passing boaters pulled crash victims from the water.
Nine people were injured.
From Hal Eisner:
Kirra Drury is one of three people still missing after Saturday night's head-on collision of two recreational boats on the Colorado River that sank both boats and sent victims to area hospitals.
Kirra's mother posted that her daughter was one of ten in the boat Kirra was in and two were critically injured and the others were injured and traumatized.
But, three could not be found. Reagan Heitzig is one of those. She's a friend of Kirra and worked at Social Tap... a popular restaurant/bar on Seaward near Pierpont.
Whether in the bar or on the street people everywhere were feeling a sense of depression. Laura Lemire says, "Anytime anything happens around here it affects all of us.”
JR Damon told us, "I’m still trying to process all of this.”
Authorities say the two boats slammed head-on at about 50 miles an hour Saturday night around 8pm.
“It’s just a very sad thing," said Damon.
The words you hear most here are 'we’re praying'. There is a massive dose of that going on.
“You can feel it, said street vendor Michael Blues. "If it were my kid," he says, "I would be devastated." He adds, "we all feel that way about each other.”
So far, only one body from those missing was recovered on this Labor Day. A 51 year old Visalia woman named Christine Lewis.
Sunday... concern was so high for the missing, especially Reagan, the place couldn't stay open. Richard Metcalfe was in the restaurant/bar.
He told FOX 11, "People were just extremely emotional… crying.. got to a point they just closed up for the day.”
The search continues along the river. And, in Ventura, so does the concern.
Earlier:
Christine Lewis, 51,of Visalia was discovered in a section of the river along the California-Arizona border, Mohave County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Anita Mortensen said.
Lewis was among more than a dozen people ejected from the boats in the crash Saturday night.
A search continued for two other women and one man.
A recreational boat carrying 10 people and another vessel with six people on board collided head-on Saturday night along the well-traveled stretch of the river, the office said.
Both boats sank, and passing boaters pulled crash victims from the water. Nine people were injured, with two in critical condition, authorities said.
The cause of the crash is being investigated.
None of the boaters were wearing life jackets, which aren't required but are recommended by authorities, Mohave County Sheriff Doug Shuster said.
The crash occurred between two popular marinas and near Moabi Regional Park, as people enjoyed the Labor Day weekend.
Helicopters have been deployed as part of the search, and authorities have scoured the shoreline. Divers have been sent into the river, which can run as deep as 30 feet (9 meters).
"These efforts will continue until all of those who are missing and unaccounted for have been located," Shuster told reporters.
Authorities closed off a stretch of the river where the search was taking place.